Save the first dance for me
Local pupil makes dream come true at matric dance.
A GLEN Anil teenager who wanted to make a difference to someone’s life at his matric dance has become the beau of the ball. Deon Govender, a Durban North College pupil, recently put out a plea on social media to find a matric dance partner among those who have never been able to attend a dance of their own.
The 18-year-old made his appeal on Facebook last week. He garnered over 4 000 likes and close to a thousand shares on his post. With the help of his mom, Vino, they narrowed the choice down to the most deserving partner.
Tane’al Tucker, from Sydenham was the one who made the cut. The 19-year-old had not attended her matric dance because she had to drop out of school to care for her sick mom.
Govender said his dream of giving some a gift of their first matric dance was to set a trend for others to follow.
“My mom has always made a difference to those around her. We often visit disadvantaged communities to help out and that inspired me to make a difference on my special night. When I put up the post, I hoped it would set a trend for others to follow in my footsteps.
“I didn’t expect it to go viral. I had to get my mom to help me with narrowing down the list. We had more than 300 girls and Tane’al had a great time. Tonight was to fulfil someone else’s dream, and I think we achieved that,” he said.
His mother also took to social media to thank all those who responded with messages of support of her son’s endeavours.
“When I started the request to fulfil Deon’s dream, I had no idea that this little message would touch the lives of so many people. No amount of words can express our gratitude to the public for supporting my son in his endeavour to give someone a memorable experience of a lifetime. Nothing can compare to the joy you feel when you see tears of hopelessness turn to smiles and joy,” Vino said.
